HC Deb 13 February 1998 vol 306 cc436-8W
Mr. Paice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list each country from which(a) beef, (b) sheep meat, (c) pigmeat and (d) poultry meat was imported into the UK during 1997. [29309]

Mr. Rooker

The tables list the countries from which beef, sheep meat, pig meat (including bacon and ham) and poultry meat were dispatched to the UK between January and October 1997, the most recent month for which data are available.

Imports of beef sheep meat, pig meat (including bacon and ham) and poultry meat between January and October 1997
£000
Beef
Irish Republic 95,688
Netherlands 30,320
Australia 23,047
Uruguay 22,222
Argentina 14,599
Botswana 14,329
Namibia 13,661
Zimbabwe 12,714
Germany 12,374
Brazil 12,182
New Zealand 7,429
France 5,416
USA 3,267
Belgium—Luxembourg 3,044
Spain 2,055
Denmark 1,355
Swaziland 691
Austria 607
Italy 525
Other 440
Imports of beef, sheep meat, pig meat (including bacon and ham) and poultry meat between January and October 1997
£000
Sheep Meat
New Zealand 187,566
Australia 20,462
Irish Republic 3,240
Germany 3,167
Spain 2,888
Netherlands 2,197
France 1,845
Uruguay 1,341
Belgium—Luxembourg 922
Chile 795
Argentina 501
Other 941
Pig Meat
Denmark 267,690
Netherlands 205,571
France 48,750
Irish Republic 40,501
Germany 16,140
Belgium—Luxembourg 10,500
Italy 7,554
Spain 4,728
USA 1,363
Sweden 1,090
Other 1,843
Poultry Meat
Netherlands 131,067
France 112,221
Irish Republic 19,770
Brazil 19,482
Denmark 18,638
Belgium—Luxembourg 15,375
Germany 11,745
Spain 9,034
Italy 8,288
Thailand 6,040
Austria 797
Other 884

Note:

All data are provisional and subject to amendment.

Mr. Paice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what checks are made on meat imports from other EU countries which originate from non-EU countries. [29308]

Mr. Rooker

All consignments of all animal products imported into the European Union (EU) are subject to checks at designated Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) regardless of the Member State for which they are destined. All consignments are subject to documentary checks. The levels of identity and physical checks are laid down in Community legislation and are determined by the product and country of origin. Once consignments have passed through a BIP, Single Market rules permit random spot checks only at the final destination.

Mr. Paice

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies his Department has undertaken concerning the incidence of meat and meat products from other EU countries which originated from non-EU countries but have been relabelled as of EU origin. [29307]

Mr. Rooker

None. Monitoring of label information on food sold in the UK is the responsibility of locally based food law enforcement authorities.

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